With the recent Post Mortem on Dungeons and Raids, as well as the blog on stat changes, there's been a lot of discussion on all the changes--the blue responses today cover a lot of controversial decisions on these topics.

But on to the really exciting news: it looks like there's a new Scroll of Resurrection program! It was accessible on live servers earlier today (via your Real ID list), but looks to be down for maintenance now. It's a pretty sweet deal to draw your friends back in--the recruited friend gets a free faction change, server transfer, and copy of Cataclysm, as well as a character instantly boosted to 80. This could explain all those ilvl 232 armor pieces and weapons we datamined back in 4.3--like the Zealous Armor--your fresh 80 will need some new gear.

Stat Clarifications

Zarhym

I'd like to jump back in here to address a common concern we've been reading, which is that we're trying to oversimplify the stat system in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience.

One of our design philosophies is: simple to learn, difficult to master.

We don’t believe in obfuscating information just to create a barrier between players who understand the rules and those who don’t. We do like to have lots of depth to our systems however, and we’re totally fine with veteran or knowledgeable players knowing a lot of nuance, exceptions, and tricks to the basic rules. To use an older example, armor penetration wasn’t our most shining moment in item design. At the base level, it was pretty easy to understand (physical attacks do more damage). However, the way a point of armor penetration rating translated into damage was mathematically complex. And to make matters worse, it was such a good stat that it made sense to stack it even if you didn't understand the mathematical basis for why it was a good stat. Armor penetration was difficult to learn (what does it do?) but easy to master (it’s overpowered). You can make similar examples with "capping" block for paladin and warrior tanks.

On the other hand, haste and crit aren’t that hard to understand. Haste is "you can do more." Crit is "you do stuff bigger, but not 100% of the time." The depth comes from deciding if your play style is more about doing lots of stuff, or about occasionally getting bigger heals and hits. If you’re intolerant of randomness, then crit might be unappealing. If you run out of mana a lot as a healer, then spending mana faster through haste might be unappealing. Both stats can impact rotations as well, depending on individual spec mechanics. These are the types of stats we feel add a decent amount of depth to the system in terms of how you want to build your character, yet they're quite easy to understand on a fundamental level.

Very interesting news: non-rated battlegrounds will now give you 50 conquest points per win. You will be able to reach the weekly conquest cap without having to ever step foot in a ranked game.

You have to wonder if part of the reason isn't because season 11 gear looks amazing for transmogrification purposes! (Kidding--mostly.)

4.3 Conquest Point Changes

In patch 4.3 we’re changing the daily battleground (BG) to reward 100 conquest for a win (up from 25). In addition, every non-rated BG that you win will also give you 50 conquest. There is no limit to how many BGs you can run this way, up to the normal conquest cap.

Our intent is to start acting even more on our Mists of Pandaria philosophies of encouraging players to approach the content they want to, how they want to, and be able to work toward meaningful player progression. Arenas and rated battlegrounds will still earn Conquest faster, but with this change you can now work your way up by running normal BGs, if you so choose.

4.3 Valor Point Changes

We’re in the process of making slight adjustments to the Valor Point (VP) drops on the 4.3 PTR which testers will soon see. In both 10- and 25-player raids, bosses will now drop 100 VP each (down from 115 and 135 respectively). We’ll also be changing Firelands raid bosses to drop 50 VP per kill upon release of the patch.

This change is being made to further emphasize the desire to kill bosses for the items they drop. In the 4.3 raid, tier sets can only be earned from boss drops, and as Raid Finder will allow for just about anyone to get a chance to kill bosses, we think there will be less need for Valor overall. We want to try to match the lower desire for VP with a slightly slower acquisition rate.

We appreciate your thoughts and constructive discussion on how these changes may affect you and your guild once 4.3 is released.

Arena and Rated Battleground Season 10 is scheduled to end as early as November 15. At that point we will determine who is eligible for the end-of-season rewards, a process that should take approximately one week. It's very important for players who feel that they may be eligible for Arena titles and/or the Vicious Gladiator’s Twilight Drake to refrain from transferring their characters to another realm or faction until after Season 10 ends. During the break between seasons, all Rated Battleground and Arena matches will be unavailable.

At the end of the season, Conquest Points will be converted to Honor Points, possibly exceeding the 4,000 point Honor cap. All Season 10 items will cost Honor Points (equivalent to their previous Conquest Point cost) when the season ends, with the exception of any items with rating requirements attached. These items will no longer be available for purchase.

Please be aware that higher ilvl PvP items will be introduced and available for Honor points with patch 4.3.

The next Arena and Rated Battleground season will begin for level-85 players approximately one week after the end of Season 10 and will coincide with the awarding of Season 10 titles and mounts. At that time, any Honor accrued above the 4,000-point cap will be converted into gold at a rate of 35 silver per point. In addition, Season 11 rewards will be made available for purchase with Conquest Points awarded during the new season. Matchmaking Ratings will carry over when Season 11 begins, but all Team and Personal Ratings will be wiped.

With the release of 4.3 all Valor Points will be down-converted to Justice Points, and all Conquest Points will be down-converted to Honor Points. To curb the ability to sell items back to the vendors after the conversion for the higher currency, we’re instituting a new sellback policy for items purchased directly before currency down-conversions.

Items purchased within the two hour window before the release of 4.3 will lose their ability to be sold back to the vendor when the realms are brought down for maintenance. No refunds will be granted for items purchased during this time, either by the in-game vendors, or our support departments.

As an example, I buy an item at 2:30 a.m. The servers come down for the release of 4.3 half an hour later. Normally I would still have an hour and a half after the servers return to sell the item back to the vendor. With this policy change though, upon logging in my item can no longer be sold back to the vendor.

This policy is only in effect for maintenances that include currency down-conversions, such as the release of 4.3. To ensure you don’t purchase the wrong item with the inability to sell it back, we recommend buying well before the final two hours so there’s time to change any incorrect purchases.

It's been a busy week for Ashelia and myself in the wake of BlizzCon. Like our 4.3 coverage roundup a few weeks back, we wanted to organize everything related to BlizzCon in one post--because we know there's some awesome things that slipped through the cracks in your first read-through. We'll be launching a full Mists of Pandaria guide shortly (that will include even more information released outside of BlizzCon--like Thursday's Dev Q&A), but in the meantime, catch up on all the news coverage and relive the last weekend!

Oh, and while you're at it, be sure to enter our Hallow's End WoW TCG Giveaway--we've giving away thirty prizes, including some Swift Shorestrider codes. Simply comment with your favorite holiday to enter, although the judges will take a second look at creative and detailed responses!

On Saturday, we unveiled our Mists of Pandaria talent calculator. Base abilities and specializations will be added as more information is released, but we were very excited to have this feature up so quickly for everyone to use!

We also:

Transcribed all the new talents and wrote a mini-guide.

Liveblogged all the panels, including the WoW General Q&A and the Class, Professions, and Items Q&A.

Summed up all the panels by topic: General, Raids, Pandaria, Classes, Items, Professions.

Friday's coverage was a whirlwind. From the Mists of Pandaria starting zone demo to new talents unveiled, there was something groundbreaking and exciting to report on every hour. Highlights of the coverage include:

A preview of the new starting zone and monk class.

Complete talent system revamp.

Preview of dungeon challenge modes.

We also included numerous blue posts, as well as Ashelia's fabulous liveblog coverage of all major panels, screenshots, and trailers.

Everyone always looks forward to the costume and dance contest at BlizzCon--seeing the fans represent their favorite characters. This year proved to be no exception with a variety of familiar and unique characters on display. The winning costume was the Adjutant from StarCraft II, with a Tier 2 Paladin and Deathwing's Human Form also placing.

We also included some press information in this post, such as the Official Mists of Pandaria FAQ.

Last Saturday, we interviewed Dave Kosak, WoW Lead Quest Designer. We tried to ask him a variety of fun questions about our favorite quests, things we missed, and what Mists of Pandaria has in store. He elaborated on some details that weren't officially presented at Blizzcon--the addition of a book/story based "Lorewalker" faction, ways that cosmetically alter your flying mount, and quests that teach you to become better tanks and healers.

We've covered the highlights from the Opening Ceremony, including many exciting tidbits about Diablo III like the WoW Annual Pass, new trailers and screenshots, and the first preview of Mists of Pandaria--land of balance and hope.

Cheat Sheet for Mists of Pandaria

Rather than force you to sift through liveblogs and official previews, Perculia and Ashelia have broken down exactly what is coming with Mists of Pandaria. Find out what's happening, what you'll be doing, and more with this first peak cheat sheet we've included right here at the top of the post.

And, of course, Perculia got some immediate hands-on time with the starting zone. Word on the street is that she rolled around a lot and had a blast--but maybe you should read her actual preview below!

Pandarens and Pandaria

Leveling in PandariaPandaria has been shrouded in a mist. The alliance and horde wash up on the shores of Pandaria during a naval battle. They immediately want it for their own for the war--so they are going to destroy the pandaren to get its resources!

I was able to test out most of the starting zone in the press room--here's my thoughts!

Initial Quests:Pandaria starts off in a similar manner to the Deathknight starting zone--defeating initiates, learning more about the philosophy, completing quests for a master trainer.

Players read four scrolls explaining the philosophy of the four elementals.

You're tasked to fetch a wilting lotus--the first sign of death in Pandaria.

This leads to an epic series to seek out the four elemental spirits, who are faded and must be reunited to be saved.

Huo, the fire spirit.

Master Li Fei teaches you to meditate and strengthen your character--instead of just focusing on physical training to succeed.

Once your character has sufficiently meditated and adjusted, you are able to summon and defeat Huo, who then escorts you to the Temple of the Five Dawns in the center of the zone. It's a gorgeous temple reached by winding staircases.

She, the water spirit.

You'll need to purify her cursed pools, meditate, and find companions for her to play with.

There's some creative questing in there. One quest makes the player hop between poles over water, taking care to watch out for balancing Pandaren hopping around on other poles. Another quest makes you wait patiently for a darting spirit to come over in the water--if you follow it, you will be unable to catch it, but if you learn the spirit's spiriting patterns, you can grab it easily.

Wuguo, the earth spirit

After you fight verming, the Pandaria equivalent of kobolds, you're tasked to wake Wuguo up--but nothing works, including ringing gongs and slapping oxen, until the water spirit helps.

At this point, there were some placeholder quest summaries that hint at fun cutscenes to come.

Dafeng, the spirit of air.

As you reach his secret hiding place, you learn that the Hozu, a type of hostile monkey, have defiled many of the scrolls of wisdom at Morning Breeze Village.

You destroy the bad scrolls the Hozu have instead written with funny sayings like "Peel Banana, Eat Second" and "Wet Fur Not to Sleep On."

This really shows off the use of the Spinning Crane Kick--as mobs are grouped together that have low HP.

After destroying the Hozu in Fe-Fang village, you are ready to reach Dafeng who is scared of the Onyx Serpent.

In reaching his inner sanctum, you learn to be patient and wait for harsh winds to part, which would damage and eventually kill you otherwise. This seems to be a decent way of introducing new players to raid mechanics.

(At this point, I got the special Blizzcon 2011 achievement, Panda Express, for having my Pandaren roll 100 times!)

You defeat the Onyx Serpent, perhaps a bit anticlimactically, by shooting fireworks into the air.

Shen'zin Su

At this point, your trainer returns and you escort him to the Western Grove.

You cleanse the area of bad spirits and hear him talk how his time has come to pass his knowledge down and step down in an extended dialogue.

You learn that Shen'zin Su, the great turtle, is in extreme danger--but nobody has spoken to him for years.

You accompany Aysa and Ji, past questgivers, in a hot air balloon over the water, listening as they ask Shen'zin what ails him. He's in pain, but glad generations have not forgotten him. He talks how a pain is in his side--and the thorn is in the forest.

The Alliance and the Horde enter. The Skyfire has crashed and you're tasked to accompany the curious Pandaren to see what these new invaders want.

I was asked to stop playing at this point to let others in the queue have a chance, but we know that at Level 10, you eventually choose which faction to join--which cannot be reversed.

Appearance: lush groves interspersed with shimmering waterfalls and rustic towns. The zone is rich in primary hues--the temples are bright blue and red, while the plant life is emerald green, uncorrupted by many of the evils of Azeroth.

There will be five new zones that feature the Pandaren's Asian-inspired landscapes, as well as the starting zone covered above and a central quest hub.

The Jade Forest: Level 85-86Players will first enter Pandaria through the Jade Forest. This zone features lush rainforests and statuesque stone spires. The Alliance and Horde will ally themselves with the indigenous creatures to fight a war with lasting consequences to the Jade Forest, and possibly the rest of Pandaria as well.

Valley of the Four Winds: Level 86-87

Featuring lush farmland in the north and dense jungles along the coast to the south, the fertile Valley of the Four Winds is the breadbasket of Pandaria. Players will join Chen Stormstout to discover his family’s roots at the legendary Stormstout Brewery. Meanwhile, trouble is also brewing along the great wall that protects the Pandaren Empire from the mantid swarms to the west….

Mogu'Shan Palace

Located atop Kun-Lai Summit

Six boss raid

Explore the hidden secrets of the Mogu empire

Shado-pan Monastery

Located in Kun-Lai Summit Mountain

Outdoor bosses

Help the Shado-pan fight the evil Sha, that have escaped

PandarenWhile you might laugh at first that the new class is a race of pandas--think again. They're a peaceful race who have lived undisturbed for thousands of years, now rudely interrupted by the presence of the Alliance and the Horde.

After completing the starting zone, Pandaren can choose to permanently join either the Alliance or the Horde.

Racials:Bouncy: reduces fall damage by half.

Inner peace: double lasting rested XP.

Gourmond: +15 to cooking.

Epicurean: double stats to food buffs.

Quaking Palm: some crowd control, puts enemies to sleep for four seconds then does damage.

The Mogu were the original race twelve thousand years ago and they want their island back from the pandaren. The Sha will be negative energy and it will be a shadow form that players fight; the alliance & horde will actually increase this.

Monk Class

They use chi as a resource (similar to energy/rage/etc).

They have stances, like Drunken Tiger/Ox

Two types of forces: Light and Dark.

Abilities:

You start off with Jab and Tiger Palm as a Monk, getting new abilities every few levels.

Spell books for all classes are changed; rotations improved; and more.

The specialization abilities you learn will be largely comprised of old talents players should have, as well as core class abilities that not every spec needs.

The goal is to have everyone have different talents and character customization.

Class Directions:Death knights will get different themed talents with each talent tier; for example, level 90 is all about slowing down your enemies.

There are a lot of new druid abilities and significant changes. Treants will be able to be used in every spec; incarnation is a talent that changes per spec; even bear themed talents are cool. For example, Ursol's Vortex will pull enemies into you with wind; can be used in any form.

Hunters will get new types of arrows--e.g. arcane or frost, depending on what they want. Enhanced spirit bond if you choose it or a different aspect. Pets will no longer be tied to types, rather, the hunter decides what he wants them to do (i.e. spiders for PvP will now be used in PvE).

Every talent is themed toward a spec of fire, arcane, or frost. Polymorph even has its own tier. For example, "Sickly Polymoph" will make their health not regen; "Heavy Polymorphed" stuns; "Double Polymorph" lets you have two sheep at once.

Paladins finally get a hamstring through SoC. Blessed Life became a talent that shares with Sacred Shield and Ardent Defender. Flash of Light is now the only paladin heal that's non-talented, so rets and prots will not have things like Divine Light.

Priests were changed the most drastically to make the two different healing specs unique. Power Infusion will be available to any spec. New healing spell that will swap your health with the target's called Void Shift, totally wild.

Rogues benefit a lot, as many of their cool spells were in the oft useless subtly tree. Huge changes to spells like Killing Spree, as you now manually teleport versus automatically.

Shaman get a lot more utility. They will be able to pull out a defensive totem then put it back and have it only eat into its uptime; for example, if they pulled out a totem and then a priest barriered, a good shaman could pull it back and save the CD.

Warlocks get new pets through the new talents, such as Grimoire of Service which lets you have two pets out at the same time or Grimoire of Supremacy which gives warlocks entirely new demons!

Main inspiration is to choose what style of warrior you want to be; to be three classes in one.

Players will be able to choose a specialization at level 10.

This gives them a new spec ability and opening up new options within that spec.

There will be a single talent tree per class in which players will earn talents every 15 levels.

Each talent opens up one of three different available options within the tree for further specialization within the chosen spec.

No mandatory talents or cookie cutter specs.

Starting with Mists of Pandaria, players will no longer spend talent points.

For each set of three talents players unlock, they will get to choose one talent to activate, for a total of six active talents at level 90.

A big benefit of removing talent points is that it allows us to let players "re-talent" with more flexibility.

Talent ranks have been completely removed.

Additional spec abilities will become available as characters levels. Some of these may be existing talents, while others may be older core abilities that are more situational.

After players have activated their talents, they won't be completely locked into their choices as they are now.

Talents can be changed out when switching specs, as well as when running dungeons, raids, and battlegrounds.

The idea is to make players choose from three talents. For example, Throwdown would be a crowd control ability any spec warrior could get; however, it would have two other choices to get that also CC.

You will access stuff you never could before and create new combinations. It's a mix-and-match system at the crux of it.

The new expansion will introduce three new Raid dungeons and nine new dungeons with six of these being located within Pandaria.

The intention is to open up multiple opportunities for max-level players to take part in a variety of progression options.

Challenge Mode:Dungeon Challenge Modes will let those looking for a deeper challenge take on dungeon runs with specific goals (complete dungeon in X minutes) and reward players who accomplish these goals with Bronze, Silver, or Gold medals.

Challengers will also find their gear scaled to equalize the difficulty of the encounter for all players, creating a level playing field.

Rewards: Uniquely designed statless gear that can be utilized with Transmogrification to further define the look of a character.

Heroic Dungeons will become easier for pick-up-groups (PuGs) to take on.Random queues will not apply to TBC and Wrath raids--the queue would be too long.The disparity between 10s and 25s will perhaps be addressed for server firsts--some fights are easier on one raid size and that's unfair when guilds of different sizes must compete against each other.No level 90 normal-mode dungeons--people will just go straight to heroics and challenge modes.Difficult to toggle hardmodes like Freya +3 Ulduar model--it's much clearer to just submit it to heroic or normal versus wait to a health percentage.Scholomance and Scarlet Monastery will be new heroic dungeons in MoP, similar to Deadmines and SFK in Cataclysm.

BattlegroundsThree new battlegrounds have been added:

Stranglethorn Diamond Mines: “Payload” gameplaySTV Diamond would be a mine with multiple tracks; the first team to get the cart to the end would win. Players would have to move carts, split the tracks, and escort the carts.

Valley of Power: “Murderball” gameplay

Valley of Power would be located in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Murderball where you hold the object for as long as possible, taking more damage the longer you hold it.

Azshara Crater: DOTA-style gameplay

ArenaNew Arena: The Tol’vir Proving Grounds will utilize the sweeping vistas of Uldum and the Tol’vir art style with a simple layout based on Nagrand Arena.

May be able to quest in raid group.

The focus will be shifting to creating more repeatable max-level content while providing incentives for all players.

Quests on Pandaria will provide a less linear experience, with multiple quest hubs to choose from.

Scenarios

Scenarios will allow small groups of players to adventure together in short instances, with progressive objectives and a story arc.

It's been a busy week on the PTR for myself and Ashelia. Every day, we find dozens of new things to write about, turning our observations into epicly-long posts. Since there are so many new things, I've provided a roundup of our 4.3 PTR coverage so far--with all the information, perhaps you missed reading something the first time around!

In our very first overview to 4.3, we went through the initial 1600 datamined items to make sense of it all. Among other things, we found numerous new mounts and pets, items that hinted at changes to holidays like Helm of the Fire Festival, new profession recipes, and many items related to the revamped Darkmoon Faire. We also listed numerous 3d models of NPCs, models, and weapons--as well as making a video of some of the new mount animations. Finally, we listed some of the radical class changes in 4.3, placing them next to Ghostcrawler's quotes on balance for an explanation.

In this dungeon-themed preview, we've got extensive coverage of End Time, one of the new 5 mans--a video highlighting all of the bosses, numerous screenshots of every encounter, the Dungeon Journal entries, and loot drops. We've also provided modelviewer previews of all the matching gear from 5-mans, as well as screenshots of the Transmogrification and Void Storage UI. Also, we've organized the Dungeon Journal entries for Dragon Soul, Well of Eternity, and Hour of Twilight, even though they're not available on the PTR yet.

In this preview, we organized all the new profession recipes into tables--including all the epic gem cuts--and tried to list their source/cost when applicable. We also found a bunch of fun miscellaneous things--some spell effects were changed for staple abilities, Winter Veil pets now hearth and have new sassy dialogue, sell prices of some epics have been drastically changed. The Worgen mount vendor is up, so Alliance players can finally get their two extra mounts--and most importantly, players can make Stardust, so we've got numerous glittery screenshots of that. It's an image-intensive post, but sometimes a picture really does say a thousand words.

This preview covered specific quests in 4.3--Darkmoon Faire and the new Rogue legendary. The datamined quest chains aren't complete by any means, but they provide an initial glimpse into the atmosphere behind these 4.3 additions. The Faire seems like it will be a quirky and light-hearted zone, while the quest for Fangs of the Father seems like it will truly be unique, incorporating core abilities and lore of the Rogue class.

Some of the new PvP sets are simply gorgeous--like the Paladin set with the asymmetrical helm. Others are a bit strange, like the skimpy Rogue top. Regardless, we've provided modelviewer previews of every datamined PvP recolor.

We've datamined the season 11 arena sets and here they are for you to check out--some really gorgeous sets, especially the paladin set. Remember to click on the images to load our awesome modelviewer so you can preview the images for yourself and take your own screenshots if needed!

The Paladin set didn't have a breastplate, so it's safe to assume the last model of each set is an extra set that isn't going to be used. The first and second sets are normal and elite PvP season 11 models.

In short, Blizzard wants to know how you're feeling about your class(es). They've posted a feedback thread on both the EU and US forums, hoping to gather your insight into how your role is functioning and how you'd like it to function in both PvP and PvE environments.

We’re looking for feedback on your class as we work on changes and adjustments for a future game update. While we may be making some specific class changes in 4.3, what we’re looking for in this thread is overall feeling on the class as a whole for more long term changes in the future.

Here is the kind of feedback that is NOT helpful in this particular thread:

Concerns that your current damage, healing or tanking is not competitive. While this kind of feedback is often useful, it also is the kind of thing that can change from patch to patch, and so it isn’t as useful for long term vision changes.

Concerns that your feedback is being ignored or that we don’t take these kind of posts seriously, or otherwise posting anything that is off-topic or not in the spirit of this thread’s intent.

Requests for responses to your suggestions or feedback. The purpose of this thread is to get information to us, not the reverse.

We hope you take these threads seriously, as we’re going to be reading them very carefully. We ask that you take time to think and formulate a useful and objective reply, as this feedback could be used to alter your class in substantial ways.

We won’t be replying here addressing your concerns. This is purely for us to read your answers to the below questions.

Please copy the below questions into your reply and answer each one.

What type of content do you focus on?

If PvE, what type of PvE?

If PvP, what type of PvP?

What are your biggest quality-of-life issues? For instance, no longer requiring ammo could be considered a quality-of-life improvement for hunters.

What makes playing your class more fun?

What makes playing your class less fun?

How do you feel about your “rotation”? (Rotation is the accepted order in which abilities are used to maximum efficiency.)

What’s on your wish list for your class?

What spells do you use the least?

Blizzard Music Section

We are happy to announce the latest feature on the Blizzard site: the Blizzard Music Section. Check out some of your favorite musical numbers from Diablo, StarCraft, Warcraft, and World of Warcraft. With quick-and-easy access to the iTunes store, it has never been easier to browse our music, create your own playlist, and listen to the tunes you want, anytime, anywhere! Also, all you audiophiles out there, be sure to read the track notes straight from Blizzard’s sound team!

Wowhead is home to the unique Transmog Set database and we've got a popular set of transmog guides to help you find your perfect set!

This guide covers the basics of transmogrification, all Tier sets, and how to acquire them. We've include many links to our transmog sets, which can be filtered by each tier and include matching belt and boot options. On each transmog page, we also have new Filter this Set buttons up by the View in 3D button that opens the set in a new page where you can apply all sorts of filters and view sources for each potential item.

Transmog Rules

The appearance of an item will be changed while retaining its original stats. This is not permanent and can be reversed at any time--like socketing an item.

Appearances can be previewed in the Transmogrification interface. As of 5.3, you can transmog any item from your bags, bank, or void storage without the item being in your bags.

For the most part, only items that have stats can be used. If an item cannot be transmogged, it will be marked as such in Wowhead's Quick Facts, plus we have a "Transmogrifiable" filter. Legendaries can also not be transmogged.

There are a handful of Cosmetic items added in MoP that can be transmogged onto any armor type, such as helms from the Blizzard Store.

In 5.2, you can transmog weapons to those with similar animations.--so 1H axes, maces, and swords can share. Mainhand and offhand restrictions are also removed.

Due to transmog's popularity, Blizzard keeps adding alternate ways to acquire an iconic look. Our transmog set pages update to show all items that resemble an particular set--for example, Hood of the Royal Wizard is included in Arcanist Regalia, so a Mage doesn't have to farm for Arcanist Crown. This guide however just covers the standard ways you'd acquire tier set from bosses and vendors.

A recent problem, due to the keyring removal, is that Greater Scarab Coffer Key no longer drop to open the chests. Fortunately, the idols and scarabs drop from trash mobs, and can be found on the AH--but this slows the collection process down a bit.

Reputation:

Brood of Nozdormu reputation can be earned through killing bosses in both Ahn'Qiraj instances, killing monsters inside the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj, and doing quests related to the dungeons.

Players start off at 0/36000 Hated. Getting out of Hated is the longest part of the reputation grind.

Three additional pieces were added to tier 6. As they looked nothing like the old tier, they are more generally considered to match the non-set armor that drops from random bosses. (As of 4.2, Sunwell tier 6 for warriors was changed to match the older tier 6; tier pieces for all other classes remain unchanged.)Wrist: Grand Warlock Alythess, Lady Sacrolash, Sathrovarr the Corruptor

The Twins do not drop every tier item--rather they have a chance to drop one.

Theremis, in the Isle of Quel'Danas, sells the three tier pieces from the boss tokens.We'll cover what matches these items in the next guide, as there aren't class restrictions.Three classes share each token.

Tier 7 is a 5-piece set based on the removed Tier 3 set from the original Naxxramas. There are multiple ways to achieve this set. In addition, there are two skins for every set: the ilvl 200 set from 10-player raids, and the ilvl 213 set from 25-player raids.

Tier 8 is a 5-piece set obtained in Ulduar, requiring level 80. There are two skins for every set: the ilvl 219 set from 10-player Ulduar, and the ilvl 226 set from 25-player Ulduar. Helm: Mimiron (10), Thorim (25)

Tier 9 is a 5-piece set obtained in Trial of the Crusader. There are three different ilvl versions of tier 9: 232, 245, and 258. All of these versions look the same. However, Alliance and Horde sets look different. The ilvl 232 gear can simply be purchased with Justice Points. It is sold by Aspirant Naradiel, Rafael Langrom, and Aspirant Forudir.

Trophy of the Crusade is acquired on 25-player mode, as well as from the 10-player tribute chest. You will need to turn in this trophy, along with a select amount of Justice Points, to acquire ilvl 245 tier.

Tier 10 is a 5-piece set obtained in Icecrown Citadel. There are three different ilvl versions of t10: 251, 264, and 277. These sets each have distinct coloration. The ilvl 251 set can simply be purchased with Justice Points. It is sold by class vendors right inside Icecrown Citadel, as well as in Dalaran.

Tier 12 is a 5-piece set obtained with Valor Points and tokens in Firelands. There are two different ilvl versions, 378 and 391, that have different colors. Helm: Both versions of tokens available from Ragnaros.

Obtaining the LFR set is now a problem in Mists of Pandaria for level 90s, as LFR Dragon Soul requires level 85.

Tier 14 is a 5-piece set obtained with tokens from Heart of Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring. There are three different ilvl versions, 483 from Looking for Raid, 496 from Normal, and 509 from Heroics, that have different colors.

Tier Sets: Raiding

Based on the threatening doom of The Lich King, DK armor tends to be menacing, dark, and impassive--tier 8 and tier 10 are classic sets. Given a second chance at life, they nonetheless crave constant bloodshed to survive, reflected in their sombre armor and imposing helms. Additional tier sets have not been added to old dungeons, so DKs have a smaller selection of tier. However, we'll cover fun non-tier plate items in part 2 of this series.

Druid sets reflect nature, with whimsical references to flowers and animals. It's a pity that depending on your spec, it won't be seen in combat. The sets frequently pay tribute to the heroic druids across the factions in Azeroth: the antlers of tier 1 and 4 are popular, as well as the feral look of tier 6 and the gnarled shoulders of tier 8.

From pantsuits to lightning rods, Mage tier is innovative, reflecting their knowledge and mastery of the arcane that has shaped Azeroth for generations. Sometimes forward-thinking, sometimes antique, mage sets run the full gamut. Tier 2 is a classic set, in spite of (or perhaps of) the watercooler shoulders; tier 8 is worn by some mages in Dalaran.

Paladin tier channels the Light in different ways, reflecting the tripartite division of the class: Protection, Retribution, and Holy. The armor exudes wrath and power--but for good, or so one believes. It's tricky to find a set that works for all three specs, but tier 2 is a classic set, as well as tier 8 and the tier 6 halo.

Priest gear walks a fine line between piety and darkness, reflecting the duality of the spec. Often intricately-designed, many players prefer this class' armor the most. Tier 5 and 6 are seen as the iconic priest sets, with their mysteriously shrouded helms, but most of the sets are winners with design elements that show good and evil.

High-necked, subdued, and a bit eerie, Rogue gear looks subtle without appearing unassuming. Unlike some of the other classes, rogue gear looks wearable and almost practical. Many players love the simple lines of rogue tier 2 and the tentacle shoulders of tier 8.

Shaman gear is inspired by the elements they harness--water, air, fire, earth. Designs like waves or molten lava reappear quite frequently. Tier 6 is a perennial favorite among players, with the animated t10 shoulders also popular.

Most players are envious of warlock gear as well, as the gear pays tribute to signature abilities. The flapping-wings on the tier 6 helm are amazing, as well as most other sets like the swirling tier 4 helm or spiky tier 5 shoulders. They really capture the demonic spirit and ethical quandary absent in classes like Paladins.

Warrior gear, while not as threatening as deathknight gear, looks brash and bold. As warriors were known early on as the signature tanking class, there's always been a strong protective element in the designs. Tier 2 and 3 were classic sets, as well as tier 5. The earlier tiers might make more sense on a tank than a dps warrior, but there's many non-tier options we'll cover in the next guide, as well as weapons and shields!

Acquiring Tier Sets: PvP

These items can still be purchased and equipped--however, players cannot transmog these items.

Players who are eligible to transmog this appearance need to have achieved Knight-Captain/Legionnaire back in vanilla. They can purchase transmogrifiable versions from vendors in Area 52.Tini Smalls: Horde Cloth and Leather

These 5-piece rare-quality PvP sets require the player to be Honored with the 5 core Burning Crusade factions. They are purchasable from the following vendors with gold, not honor (warning: item/faction combos vary based on class);Alurmi: Keepers of Time

For players with a RBG or arena rating over 2200 (both team and personal), they can trade in their season 10 items for an "elite" look--same stats, but a different reskin. Changing to these elite looks is no longer possible.

Cataclysmic Gladiator

These 5-piece ilvl 403 sets were 4.3's arena set. They were changed to ilvl 390 sets in 5.0.4.

For players with a RBG or arena rating over 2200 (both team and personal), they can trade in their season 11 items for an "elite" look--same stats, but a different reskin. Changing to this elite look is no longer possible.

Dreadful, Malevolent Gladiator

There are three recolors of Season 12 gear, Mists of Pandaria's first season.

The Dreadful Gladiator gear originally was ilvl 458. It used to be sold by Hayden Christophen and Lok'nor Bloodfist. They do not sell this gear anymore and duplicate Crafted Dreadful Gladiator items can be crafted by players instead now. These recipes have a chance to be learnt when crafting the following: Tailoring: Imperial Silk

The Malevolent Gladiator gear used to be ilvl 489 and cost Conquest Points, but was replaced by ilvl 476 versions in 5.2, at which point it was sold byHayden Christophen and Lok'nor Bloodfist for Honor Points. In 5.4, this gear is no longer available. Recipes for lookalike items have a chance to be learnt when crafting the following:

For players with a RBG or arena rating over 2200 (both team and personal), they can trade in their season 12 items for an "elite" look--same stats, but a different reskin. Changing to this elite look is no longer possible.

Tyrannical Gladiator

There are three recolors of Season 13 gear--Alliance, Horde and Elite sets.

Elite gear now requires players to achieve Tyrannical Conquest, instead of having a 2200 ranking. This gear is currently ilvl 512, but in 5.3 it will simply serve as vanity gear due to the ilvl 496 cap in Arenas and RBGs. It was purchased from following NPCs: Acon Deathwielder, Ethan Natice. Changing to this elite look is no longer possible.

Grievous Gladiator

There are three recolors of Season 14 gear--Alliance, Horde and Elite sets.

There are three recolors of Season 15 gear--Alliance, Horde, and Elite sets. The Season 14 Alliance and Horde sets have switched colors for Season 15 Conquest gear so those colors aren't faction-exclusive anymore

This guide covers all the titles in WoW from the serious to the silly, organized by topic and linked to their achievement and basic source details. Collecting titles became easier in Mists of Pandaria with account-wide titles and achievement progress.

Account-Wide Changes

In Mists of Pandaria, many titles became account-wide, meaning alts can use titles they haven't individually earned as long as they're at the minimum level it could be acquired at. For example, a level 80 alt could wear <Name>, Death's Demise if another character on the account earned it.

The other major change was account-wide progress on meta-achievements like What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been. Players can work on holiday, PvP, and raid meta-achievements across characters now, instead of repeating the achievements on any character that needed the rewards.

Dungeons, Raids, and other Challenges

General

<Name> the Patient is given for completing Looking For Many, pugging with 50 random players to complete heroic dungeons. Both Wrath and Cata heroic dungeons count towards this. If you pug 50 more, you'll get Perky Pug.

<Name> Jenkins is given for completing Leeeeeeeeeeeeeroy!, destroying 50 rookery whelps in 15 seconds. To get to the Rookery, you'll need to zone into UBRS, turn to the left, and kill two rooms of orcs as well as Pyroguard Emberseer. This will unlock the Rookery--be careful not to aggro too many at once if you are at low-level.

<Name> the Kingslayer is awarded to players who have defeated the Lich King on either 10 or 25 player mode in Icecrown Citadel. It's a great lore-filled title and easy to pug, especially if you have some friends wanting to finish a Shadowmourne for vanity.

Loremaster <Name> is awarded for completing , which in turn requires you to complete numerous quests in every zone for vanilla, BC, Wrath, and Cataclysm content. Completing the required number of quests for each zone awards you an achievement for easier tracking. Upon total completion, you'll also receive Loremaster's Colors. To track your quest progress, check out our Profiler tool or new quest tracking feature.

Shado-Master <Name> is awarded for completing a variety of achievements (The Shado-Master) tied to the Shado-Pan faction. Many of these achievements are tied to dailies, but you will also need to achieve Shado-Pan Monastery: Gold. Progress is not account-wide, so the character that achieves the Gold run needs to be the same character you complete dailies on.

Vanquisher <Name> is given to players that participate in the yearly Arena Tournament Realm who rank in the top 1000 after the first qualifier. This title will be given to all characters above level 71 on live.

Arena

The following arena titles are given after ranking in various percentiles for 3v3 and 5v5 at the end of each season. The related achievements are permanent, but the titles reset at the end of the following season: Challenger, Rival, Duelist, Gladiator.

Mists of Pandaria added the Seeker of Knowledge title for players who turned in pristine versions of every common-quality artifact from Pandaria. This is a quite time-consuming achievement as pristine solves are a very low chance. For more details on Archaeology, check out our profession guide

<Name>, Avenger of Hyjal is rewarded for completing Avengers of Hyjal, hitting exalted with the Avengers of Hyjal. This faction only grants reputation from Firelands boss and trash kills (until Honored). Reputation rewards include ilvl 378 and ilvl 391 epics.

<Name> of the Ashen Verdict is rewarded for completing The Ashen Verdict, hitting exalted with the Ashen Verdict. Reputation can be gained by killing trash and bosses in Icecrown Citadel and players can purchase epic rings based on their reputation.

Holidays

Each world holiday has a meta-achievement that grants a special title. Most titles require every holiday-related achievement, so we'll point out the extra achievements that don't count. These titles may be common, but they're also pretty fun and festive. Keep in mind that these meta-achievements all have account-wide progress, so you can get them done across alts.

Like the tier 7 Immortal counterparts, Champion of Ulduar and Conqueror of Ulduar were removed from the game and turned into a Feat of Strength. Obtaining these titles required players to one-shot each Ulduar boss without any deaths. It did not require players to one-shot every boss in the same raid lockout, or to defeat the bosses on a specific difficulty, so this was seen as easier than the Tier 7 immortal achievements.

Grand Crusader <Name> was awarded to players who participated in the realm first kill of Anub'Arak with 50 attempts remaining: Realm First! Grand Crusader. In addition, the attempts-based system for tier 9 was made obsolete and into a Feat of Strength in Cataclysm.

Scarab Lord <Name> was a title given to players who completed the quests in Veteran of the Shifting Sands 12 hours after the opening of the AQ gates in vanilla. Back in Wrath on EU servers, some players got the title by opening the gates on a new server, but now the questline has been removed.

The Paragons of the Klaxxi encounter in Siege of Orgrimmar has nine possible temporarily titles. Each Paragon has a special spell that can be looted, and the player who loots it gets a title for an hour. Different roles can pick up select buffs:

Unimplemented

In the Wrath beta, realm firsts for races, classes, and professions had titles linked to them. While the achievements were acquired by players, the related titles were removed at live, but one surprising day in the middle of tier 9, some players found they had temporary access to most of these titles!